About Strategic Social Media (The Book)

Social media and PR have a symbiotic relationship. At its core, public relations is about building, maintaining, managing and enhancing relationships. And, while social media can be used for lots of different things, their best and highest use is really the same.

Regardless of this, many PR educators have been nervous to adopt social media as a viable set of tools, feeling overwhelmed by the technology. This book will help quell these fears by tying new technology and tools to foundational PR values and provides context within the framework of larger PR efforts.

We’ll show both students and educators that when social media are done right, they do not occur in a vacuum. The core principles of ethics, transparency, authenticity and reputation management touted by social media practitioners are the same principles that public relations educators and practitioners have considered the very foundation of our practice for decades. However, there’s no denying that social media have sparked an information revolution.

We plan to bridge the gap between almost too-specific trade publications and the dearth of public relations planning and campaign textbooks that incorporate social media and are appropriate for the classroom.

Each chapter will include interviews, case studies and best practices. If you’d like to be considered, please fill out our short questionnaire and tell us a little about your work in social media.

Chapter 1: Overview

Chapter 2: The PR Context

Chapter 3: Theory & Models Relevant to Social Media

Chapter 4: A Strong Foundation: PR Principles at Work

Chapter 5: Social Media’s Changes

Chapter 6: A Solid Structure: Social Media as a Function of PR

Chapter 7: Risks & Responsibilities

Chapter 8: Creating a Blueprint: Social Media Planning

Chapter 9: Conclusion